More Than Meat: Boosting Protein and Busting Worries

October 27, 2021 Children

Is it okay if I give Zack chicken nuggets every night? I worry about protein and it’s the only meat I know he’ll eat.” Melissa, mom of fourteen month-old Zack is not alone with her protein worries. Parents are thinking a lot about protein and making sure their kids get enough.

How much is enough?

Protein is important for muscles, growth, and general health. Eating protein evens out blood sugar levels, which can help with energy and behavior and helps children feel full and eat the right amount. Protein is important, but most parents think their child needs far more protein than they actually do. Your child is probably doing better than you think! Pediatric dietitian Hydee Becker, RD, reassures, “Kids almost always get more than enough protein, even in that picky toddler stage.

Healthy 1-to-3 year-old children like Zack need a little more than half a gram of protein for every pound they weigh (per day). You don’t need a calculator, but here’s what Zack needs as an example. Zack weighs 25 pounds so he needs about 14 grams a day. If in one day he eats a slice of bread, one egg and one cup of milk, it adds up to enough protein. Surprised?

Once Melissa learned that Zack was getting enough protein, she was reassured. She also realized that by serving nuggets every night he was losing out on learning to like other protein sources, “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about protein so much. Yesterday for lunch he dipped crackers into baked beans and ate some!” Think of foods with protein that you like to eat. Parents teach children to learn to like a food best when they serve it and enjoy it themselves.

If you are concerned about your child’s eating or protein, talk to your WIC professional.

How much protein is in your child’s favorite food? Check out the protein chart below:

6-8 grams of protein:

One ounce (about what a small AA battery weighs) of meat, fish or chicken/turkey (deli meat), pulled pork, hamburger, salmon)
One ounce of cheese (4 tablespoons of shredded cheese or about a slice and a half of American cheese)
1 cup of milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1/2 cup of beans

2-4 grams: in a half slice of bread, a cup of cereal, tube of yogurt

1-3 grams: in a serving of most vegetables, or one chicken nugget

5 Protein-Boosting Tips

Remember snacks: Many parents forget about snacks and only think about protein at meals. Toddlers should be offered food about every 2-3 hours, including protein: add some hummus or cheese to crackers and fruit, or serve milk with snack.

Remember ‘hidden’ protein: Many parents think protein=meat, but your child may like other foods that are a good source of protein, including milk or soy drinks, peanut butter or eggs. There are products with added protein (some yogurts or cereal bars) if your child doesn’t yet enjoy protein-rich foods. But keep offering them.

Serve protein they can chew: It takes children until they are about three years old to chew like adults! Many toddlers have trouble with meat because it’s dry and takes specialized chewing and grinding. Prepare foods in ways they can handle: ground beef or turkey, deli meats in small pieces, slow-cooked meats that pull apart, and with sauces that moisten meat or fish — like tuna salad.

Spreads and dips: Toddlers are becoming independent and most love to “do it myself!” Allow them to dip crackers, or let them spread nut butters, whipped cream cheese, egg salad, or mashed beans with their fingers or a small spreader. Messy but yummy!

Don’t be a protein pusher. Research tells us that getting into battles around food makes most toddlers eat less well, and it’s no fun. If you’re pushing two bites of chicken, they will eat less over time.